Injury or damage or property often occurs when liquid overflows from a small appliance when it malfunctions. For example, when hot liquid overflows a coffee maker, due to coffee maker malfunction and/or due to user error when setting up or using a table-top coffee maker, the liquid often misses the interior of the carafe and flows over the counter, down the cabinet doors, into the lower cabinets, and onto the floors. Coffee makers often malfunction at home and at the office and at all hours of the day, especially in view of many coffee makers being programmable to start operation when the user is not present. The valve mechanism of many coffee makers, which is intended to stop flow when the carafe is removed for pouring of “a first cup”, can often malfunction, especially if the carafe is not properly positioned. Therefore, the coffee grounds cone/tray often fills up with liquid and overflows.
This common occurrence can cause a variety of injuries to the user or other people in the vicinity, such as burns, slipping on wet surfaces, and electrical shock. Coffee maker or other small appliance malfunctions can cause water damage or damage by staining of valuable property and possessions, such as counter tops, grout, desks, cabinet doors, cabinet interiors, hardwood floors, carpeting, walls, irreplaceable items, and documents, etc. While coffee makers are the most common cause of such damage, water carafe or reservoir, or other hot or cold liquid-containing devices may also cause such damage, due to malfunction, breakage, or cracks in the device.